Portfolio landlord banned from operating rental properties after sleaze conviction

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A landlord in Glasgow convicted of stalking a woman has been struck from the landlord register, preventing him from letting out his 14 properties.

Joga Singh, 48, was found guilty last year of repeatedly approaching the woman in Paisley Town Centre, following her and asking for money in return for permission to take photographs of her wearing underwear.

He was sentenced to a community pay back order of 252 hours and placed on a non-harassment order for one year.

Proving the effectiveness of landlord registration – something that’s already in place in Northern Ireland and Wales, as well as Scotland, with proposals to introduce it in England – Singh appeared before Glasgow City Council’s licensing committee this week.

His representative Archie MacIver told councillors that he had been a landlord for 21 years, dealing with many hundreds of tenants without issue.

“His moment of madness has brought a fairly good life crashing to a halt. He is a married man with three children, but the family is separated as a result, said MacIver.

Ashamed and remorseful

“He is utterly ashamed and remorseful. There is no running away from the fact that what happened here was extremely serious, distasteful and worrying.”

The committee heard that he had been refused an HMO licence last year. All Singh’s properties are managed by letting agents which means he doesn’t need to be in contact with his tenants and has told them about his conviction. However, the committee agreed to remove him from the landlord’s register.

The register lets anyone looking for information on landlord or property registrations for all private rented property in Scotland, and includes contact details of owners and agents, and information on enforcement orders. Landlords must be registered or face a fine of up to £50,000 and a ban on letting properties of up to five years.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Portfolio landlord banned from operating rental properties after sleaze conviction | LandlordZONE.

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DWP Pensions Minister has not got a clue how Universal Credit works

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Benefit tenants, you cannot get accommodation, because the DWP Pensions Minister Will Quince has not got a clue how Universal Credit works and the biggest UC Landlord in Nottingham here can no longer take you. https://t.co/AuoqDsQ2ct

MP Will Quince

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National Landlord Investment online Super-shows for 2020

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As a live event, 2020 has presented us with exceptional challenges. Our response is to lead the market by delivering the first-ever online show dedicated solely to the UK buy-to-let market. Partnering with an established digital events platform, the National Landlord Investment Show will be delivering 3 online events throughout October and November.

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Welsh government extends Covid-19 eviction protection measures to next March

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In-line with those in England, it was announced Wednesday 15^th September that letting agents and landlords in Wales must wait six months (as opposed to the usual 2 months notice) before they can start new possession claims, except where anti-social behaviour or domestic violence is involved.

Under the powers of the Coronavirus Act 2020, the deadline has been extended until 31 March 2021, the original deadline being 20 September 2020. Housing Minister, Julie James MS also confirmed there will be a pause on physical evictions both during the festive period and within any further local lock-down, the same as the UK Government announced recently.

The Minister in Wales also announced that, with immediate effect, tenants can be given shorter notice periods if they are involved in anti-social behaviour or domestic violence, the same as before COVID-19 regulations came into play.

A formal announcement of the change will be made along with the publication of regulations before the end of this month.

Where rent arrears have accumulated due to the Coronavirus pandemic, private rented sector tenants will soon be able to apply for a loan in Wales through the Tenancy Saver Loan Scheme, opening at the end of September 2020. The Welsh Government is providing £1.4 million to boost services that support people in Wales to manage debt problems.

Unrelated to to the pandemic, the Welsh Government is to continue with its tenancy changes with their Bill to amend the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 which aims to increase the security of tenure for tenants. The Bill will extend the no-fault notice period from two to six months, and landlords will be prevented from issuing a no-fault notice until at least six months from the date of occupancy.

The change will mean that in Wales tenants will get a minimum of 12 months’ security of tenure from the commencement of a residential tenancy contract, giving Welsh tenants greater security than anywhere else in the UK.

Julie James MS, Minister for Housing and Local Government says:

“The Coronavirus pandemic is continuing to have a significant impact on daily life and is still posing major challenges for all of us, I have therefore acted to give additional protection to renters. I am committed to ensuring we continue to protect renters whilst at the same time mitigating impacts on landlords and protecting communities from the harmful effects of ongoing anti-social behaviour.”

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Welsh government extends Covid-19 eviction protection measures to next March | LandlordZONE.

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Letter of claim from no win no fee solicitor?

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I served a S21 on my tenant. Since then, he has been on a mission to hurt me! He has now got a no win no fee solicitor who has sent me a letter of claim for disrepair.

The tenant has refused access to the flat for many months.

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Rees-Mogg: ‘Evictions ban extension? We’ve already spent £1 billion helping tenants’

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The Leader of the House of Commons has given another strong indication that the government is not considering a last-minute U-turn on the eviction ban.

Jacob Rees-Mogg dismissed calls from Coventry MP Zarah Sultana to debate the issue again by unequivocally responding that the Government had already spent enough money on tenants.

During a Parliamentary session, Sultana asked him to give Government time to urgently discuss measures to stop a potential housing eviction and homelessness crisis, such as by extending the ban for at least a year, scrapping no fault evictions and cancelling rent arrears.

However, Rees-Mogg said nearly £1 billion had been provided for renters, including increasing the generosity of housing benefit and Universal Credit so that the Local Housing Allowance covered at least 30% of market rents in local authorities.

Balance struck

He added: “Measures ensuring no tenant has been forced out do come to an end on Sunday, but landlords have not been able to evict for at least six months.

“There’s a balance to be struck between landlords and tenants, and the Government has spent a great deal of taxpayers’ money trying to support tenants.”

From Monday, landlords will be able to issue tenants with a Section 21 or Section 8 notice but will be asked to submit evidence about how their tenants’ circumstances may have been affected by coronavirus.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Rees-Mogg: ‘Evictions ban extension? We’ve already spent £1 billion helping tenants’ | LandlordZONE.

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Is this a DWP system failure or just an excuse?

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To cut (an inevitably long story short!) I had a tenant who declared a change of address away from my property completely unknown to me. As a result, the Managed Payment to Landlord (MPTL) arrangement that existed for my property was cancelled on the date he reported the address change.

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Is change coming to the Evictions industry?

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Any firm or solicitors offering a specialist eviction service can operate under a Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) licence. However, if they operate without an SRA licence they will not have the legal authority to complete many parts of the process.

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Evictions ban will end on Sunday, says Master of the Rolls

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A clear indication that the evictions ban is to come to an end on Sunday has been published by the Master of the Rolls Sir Terence Etherton, leaving the government with little time or wiggle room to do a U-turn.

“If the government were to change its mind today then it would leave a lot of egg on the face of many groups and officials, so I can’t see it happening,” one lobbying organisation, which asked for anonymity, has told LandlordZONE.

Etherton has written a statement on the Courts and Tribunal Judiciary website announcing the resumption of possession cases on 20^th September, although as this is a Sunday this will mean hearings re-starting on the 21^st.

“A stay of proceedings in possession cases has been in operation, under various powers, since 26 March this year. That stay comes to an end shortly,” he says.

This hasn’t stopped the Labour party pressing the government to extend the ban, saying that “Coronavirus cases are rising, vast swathes of the country are set to be under local lockdown, and the Covid jobs crisis is set to get worse. This is no time for the Government to re-start evictions”.

Possession cases

Etherton’s statement is part of his department’s guidance on the resumption of possession cases which, most industry organisations have told LandlordZONE, gives the strongest possible indication that the government is unlikely to do another U-turn and extend the ban, despite pressure from Labour and Shelter.

Etherton also highlights the results of a judicial practice working group he put together in May, bringing together judges, court staff, government officials, legal representatives, the advice sector, and those representing landlords and tenants, mortgage lenders and borrowers. 

“Together, supported by my office, they have worked tirelessly towards the aim of ensuring that the courts are as prepared as they can be for the resumption of possession proceedings. I am immensely grateful for the work that they have undertaken led by Mr Justice Knowles,” he says.

Read the working group’s report ‘Overall Arrangements for Possession Proceedings in England and Wales’.

Read Etherton’s statement.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Evictions ban will end on Sunday, says Master of the Rolls | LandlordZONE.

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Landlord Action – 3 Steps to Tenant Eviction

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The risks associated with illegal eviction missed rent payments and possible damage to your property if tenant eviction is badly handled are significantly reduced by paying for professional advice or services.

Accuracy is critical. Landlords won’t find a more accurate service.

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